“The driver training industry is largely unregulated and the lack of legislative provisions allowing for appropriate oversight has been an ongoing issue within the industry,” Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Stephan Knoll said.

“There are currently 623 licensed instructors in South Australia and of those, 306 are also appointed as an examiner with approximately 30,000 examinations across all licence classes each year.

“Section 5 of theMotor Vehicles Act 1959contains a definition of an Authorised Examiner however the Act remains silent on all other aspects around examiners.

“There are ongoing issues within this industry around upfront bulk payments for lessons with no receipts or written agreements, the proficiency of instructors and instructors training to ‘pass’ tests rather than training to ‘drive’.

“There is only a voluntary code of conduct governing this industry and no central register of instructors for the public to access.

“That’s why the State Government is consulting with the community to get their feedback.”

Some of the proposals that could be considered include:

Developing a mandatory Code of Conduct

Establishing an online register of instructors and examiners to assist the public to make informed decisions

Increased auditing provisions to ensure the proficiency of instructors and examiners